Learning to trust
by InkayInks
Summary: Nigel always had a hard time trusting. Set some days after episode L.I.Z.ZI.E.


Set after Season 1 Episode 7 L. I. Z. Z. I. E.

Technically first story, but had to re-upload due to it breaking the first time.

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Summary: Nigel always had a hard time trusting, but now it seems even worse after the disaster that was his "date".

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Numbuh Five's last sentence of "-and yall' better be sleepin' by the time I peek in there!" followed Numbuh One into his room as the door shut behind him. It had been an exhausting week. Teens here, and adults there. You'd think they would at least take weekends off, like Numbuh One often sees his friend's parents do. At least then, he could catch up on his own mission reports, and some much-needed sleep. If it weren't for the sunglasses he wears, he's absolutely positive Abby would get the rest of the team to tie him to his bed. He could carry his entire teams candy shopping in his eye bags alone… With that image in mind, Nigel thought it best to start getting ready for bed. As he slipped off his trusty red sweater, and instead pulled on his white with red long-sleeved nightshirt...he felt his hand smooth over his head for what can only be the hundredth time that day. Nigel just couldn't quite understand WHY he constantly felt the need to check his head, it's not like he has hair to feel for, not anymore. Although he does remember, vague as the memory is, what it was like to run his hands through his brown locks, but It's been long enough since THAT happened, and the feeling is nearly as gone as his once head full of hair. And, much like his lack of hair, if he tries hard enough, Nigel can recall a time where he and his in state cousins would play together. Always right down the lane, he supposed that's how the Delightfuls got the name he mused. That was before the two of them, became them, a single entity based on everything most adults want their children to be. And before he himself, had fully joined the KND...before he understood what they stood for. What he stands for.

Nigel shook his head, he was overthinking everything again. A bad habit Numbuh Five often told him to try and surpass. It's not as if he constantly thought back to-no, he'd rather not relive the experience let alone the nightmares the incident caused. In the end, losing his hair, but most importantly, his trust, is what spurred on his decision to try his best to protect all those innocent kids out there. Where there was those, like Father, and like the Delightfuls, there was him, and his team, and the whole of the KND. Ready and waiting to put a stop to the tyrannical adults and teens everywhere.

THe young boy stopped his pacing, (when had he started to pace in the first place?) and brought his right hand up to his face to pinch the edge of his nose. He'd thought about his cousins, his hair, and even his own family…Father as the man was nicknamed, is HIS uncle after all, and that in itself, raised too many questions. Was his family supposed to be this dysfunctional? His own dad, (although not abusive in a physical sense), seems to ignore him half the time, and only remembered him when it came to the 'quality fishing time', or when he was gone for more than two days. Nigel likes to think that he can't complain-much. Sure, he hardly ever sees his mother, and yha, his dad can be…forgetful, but! he has a roof over his head, food to eat after school, and a great family in his team. He just wished he had someone with a little more experience in similar situations (as bad as he knows it sounds), to reassure him that it's not just him. That he's not the only one with a strange (and strange is putting it mildly), family. Its not as if he can make his dad understand that his uncle really dose shoot flames out of his entire body. Or that he manipulates all those around him to do his dirty work (his cousins are a fantastic example of that). It also wasn't as if he didn't try, either, Nigel remembers the first few times he told his dad...but all that would result from that was a confused expression, a pat on the head, and his father jovially saying, "Oh son! You kids and your imagination! Such wondrous things that! Imagination…" before he'd amble off to the kitchen table like he couldn't believe imagination is a thing that kids use regularly.

Honesty, there he went again, overthinking something he's pretty sure he can't control. Nigel sat on the edge of his bed, and took a deep breath. Sometimes, it felt like he was drowning, or choking on air. How was he supposed to bring up these questions with his team? There was none he trusted more than them, and although he did have a mentor, and good friend in the current Supreme Leader 274… the older boy was more often than not, at central command. Nigel can see him now, hunched over hundreds of papers that needed his insight or approval. He'd never go to Chad for something as small as his personal problems, not when he had to watch over the thousands if not millions of children on this and the other side of the world. It just didn't seem fair to him, to pile more problems onto his friend when he was already dealing with his duties...and his own parents absurd expectations.

Anyways, Its not like Nigel hadn't learned to keep most of his thoughts quiet and internalized over the years... He can hardly even remember when the habit had started up. It must have been before he and his family moved to the States, of that, he's sure.

Regardless, it seemed all of his thinking (and previous pacing) had worn him out more than the weeks packed schedule had. Yawning aloud, the leader of Sector V decided it has late enough, and more importantly, he was tired enough; to get at least four hours of sleep. He had a solo mission bright and early in- Nigel glanced at his clock, four and a half hours?! Well, at least he got through most of his thoughts for once. He could go to bed, knowing he had his friends to watch his back, and a home to come back to. Nigel snuggle into his bed sheets, and as he began to drift off to sleep, he promised himself he'd treat his team to a day off and some ice-cream once he was back from the solo mission.

 **End**

WORD COUNT: 1,250

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 **FOOTNOTE** :

Hey everyone, Inkay here. *waves dispassionately*

I've recently started re-watching Kids next door episodes, and thought to myself.

'Maaaan, if I was a kid in that universe, I'd have some sort of PTSD by the age of 8!'

So here we are, this will be part of a series that takes place during or after an episode from the show. Strap in cuz' it's ganna' be a bumpy ride friends.

Currently, I've got some episodes picked out from Season 1 that seemed really interesting to me. If you want, leave a comment on an episode you'd like me to do. Season 1 or 2 for now only, m'k?

Oh, and my work is non-beta read, so ALL mistakes are mine, got it?


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